


New Starts Aren't Always Easy

by megsblackfire



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate modern universe, Angst, Baby!Jack is sweet and adorable, Gabriel is not in a good headspace, Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, Jack and Jack Jr, Jack is transgendered, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Trauma, screwing around with the tags until they're how I like them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-08-31 08:21:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8571307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsblackfire/pseuds/megsblackfire
Summary: Halloween, the day where the veil is thin and little kids dress up to go Trick or Treating. Dia de los Muertos, a day to remember loved ones lost and, if you are lucky, a chance to see them again for a few moments.
Jack loves the holidays. He loves getting dressed up with his Papi and he loves making Daddy's grave pretty and remembering the man he can just barely recall. But Papi is in a lot of pain and this year seems to be worse than usual. 
Gabriel lost the man he loved to war. They call it "survivor's guilt", but what else can he do but feel responsible? His body is barely holding itself together and some days its difficult to get out of bed, even with his son relying on him. How can he face Jack's ghost when he can't even look at himself in the mirror?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "Why are you posting a Halloween story so late into November?" Because sometimes the muse strikes at the weirdest times and the brain goes, "hey, let's crank this out right now!" So enjoy this late little bit of angst and pain.
> 
> ~~And I should explain this now while I have the chance. There are two versions of Jack in this story. There's full-grown Jack Morrison and there's baby Jack. They're sort of the same character in essence but also their own distinct entities. Baby Jack is not a reincarnation of adult Jack as he was already born while Jack was still alive. Still with me? Good. Enjoy.~~
> 
> ~~EDIT: I figured out a better way to explain the Jack-Jack thing. Okay, so adult!Jack is Optimus Prime and baby!Jack is Orion Pax. They are two distinctive characters in their own right, but the audience knows that they're the same person. This is a situation where Optimus Prime and Orion Pax exist at the same time and remain who they are. Hopefully that helps clear things up.~~
> 
> What the hell?! Jack and Jack Jr. There, explained it. Why'd I have to go making that more complicated than it needed to be?! Geeze, brain, why'd it take so long to think up that explanation?!

Jack ran ahead of everyone else, giggling happily as his bag of candy swung from his little hands. He could hear his friends shouting at him to wait up, but he knew that if he stopped, they’d just whine that he was taking too long. They only wanted to hit the “good houses”; Jack wanted to go to them all. He loved finding out what treats the owners had waiting for them.

“Come on,” he laughed as he darted up the driveway to the house. His friends didn’t follow him, watching from the sidewalk where his Uncle was. He rang the doorbell and lifted his treat bag up. “Trick’r’treat!” he shouted as the door opened.

“Aw, what an adorable little vampire!” the man smiled. “My, what big teeth you have!”

“All the better to suck your blood,” Jack said seriously before he giggled.

The man laughed and dropped a handful of candies into his bag. Jack thanked him before hurrying back to Lúcio. Lúcio ruffled his hair and laughed, telling him to stay with the group from now on. Jack pouted and Lúcio knelt down to kiss his cheeks.

“I know you want a lot of candy, Jack,” he smiled. “But your Papi wants you back at a decent hour. And Genji’s already starting to get tired. I’m gunna have to carry him pretty soon.”

“Okay,” Jack sighed before he hugged his uncle’s waist.

The group of kids that Lúcio was looking after trotted along the sidewalk. They talked excitedly about their costumes and the candy they’d already gotten, grinning widely when Jesse waved around a full-sized chocolate bar that Mr. Lindholm gave him. They all eyed the house with a lantern hanging outside the front door nervously before Jack puffed out his chest and led the way. Fareeha rang the doorbell and they all lifted their treat bags.

“Trick’r’treat!” they shouted in unison.

“Aw, Roadie!” the man dressed up as a mad scientist squealed, “come see all these little darlin’s! We have a little pilot, a little cowboy, a kitty-cat, and a vampire! Aw, I could just squeeze them!”

They all giggled as the mad scientist dropped full-sized chocolate bars into their bags. An enormous man dressed up like an undead pig monster loomed over the scientist’s shoulder and snorted at them.

“Those are great costumes,” he growled.

“Thanks!” Jack grinned. “My Papi made it for me!”

“He’s very talented,” the mad scientist nodded his head. “You kids be safe now.”

“We will! Thank you!” Jack shouted as they raced back to Lúcio.

“Come on!” Fareeha groaned. “I want to get to Dr. Ziegler’s house before all the cookies are gone!”

“You just wanna see Angela,” Jesse teased as he straightened his hat and grinned around his blacked-out tooth.

“That’s not true!” Fareeha shouted. “I’ll beat you up if you say that again, Jesse!”

“You’re so mean,” Genji wrinkled his nose. “Everyone knows you like Angela. You two are so obvious about it.”

Fareeha looked like she was about to explode with anger so Jack stepped in quickly. “Dr. Ziegler makes the best chocolate chip cookies,” he agreed. “She only ever makes a certain amount though! We have to hurry if we want those ones and not raisins.”

Everyone shuddered in disgust before they raced ahead. Lúcio laughed as he skated after them, not at all worried about losing them. He was the fastest person on skates; no one could outrace him. They passed a lot of other kids on their way, waving and holding up their bags to show off their loot. They trotted across the neighbourhood to the Ziegler house and knocked on the door.

“Trick’r’treat!” they cheered.

“Well, look who it is,” Dr. Ziegler smiled as she set her hands on her hips. “I was wondering when you dears were going to show up. I saved you some cookies.”

“YES!” they cheered as she dropped the chocolate chip cookies into their bags.

“How’s Angela feeling?” Jesse asked as he rubbed at his nose.

“Still sick, I’m afraid,” Dr. Ziegler sighed. “She’ll be okay. She just needs rest.”

“Tell her we wished her a Happy Halloween,” Fareeha smiled.

“I will, Fareeha,” Dr. Ziegler smiled. “You enjoy the rest of your evening.”

They thanked Dr. Ziegler before hurrying back to Lúcio. They were out for a little while longer before Lúcio started dropping them off at their homes. Jack held Lúcio’s hand as they headed back to his home. Lúcio kissed his forehead and told him to be good for his Papi. Jack promised that he would before he hurried inside.

“Papi! Papi, I got a lot of candy,” he called as he trotted into the dark house.

He paused and listened, trying to figure out where Papi was resting. He grinned and trotted into the living room, holding his candy out in front of him. He climbed up onto the couch and snuggled against Papi’s chest.

“You got a good haul, _m’ijo_?” Papi asked softly.

“Uh huh,” Jack snuggled closer. “I really wish you could have come with me, Papi. Everyone loved my costume!”

“Me too, Jack,” Papi sighed before he kissed Jack’s forehead. “Meet me in the kitchen and I’ll make sure the candy’s safe, okay?”

Jack nodded and kissed Papi’s nose before he hurried off to the kitchen. Papi was hurt really badly in the war and he was on a lot of medication to help him manage the pain. Some days, though, it didn’t matter what pills he took, he was in a lot of pain. Today was one of those days. He had barely managed to help Jack get dressed up before he had called Lúcio to come take him out.

Normally, Papi would have taken Jack all over the neighbourhood and made sure he got lots of candy. They always shared it, but Jack always got more because they usually coordinated their costumes and everyone loved seeing it. Papi was supposed to be a great big vampire this year, but he couldn’t get dressed up because of how much pain he was in.

The fact that he’d even managed to help Jack get dressed was surprising. On really bad pain days, Papi couldn’t even roll out of bed.

Jack crawled up onto a chair and dumped his candy onto the table. He swung his legs, watching the doorway for when Papi walked in. He smiled as Papi’s huge form appeared out of the gloom. His heavily scarred face smiled as he walked over and eased himself down into the chair beside Jack.

“Well, that’s quite the haul you got, _m’ijo_ ,” he chuckled. “You’re going to share, right?”

“Uh huh!” Jack nodded happily. “You get all the spicy ones!”

“Thank you, Jack,” Papi smiled and kissed his forehead.

Papi grimaced as he settled back in his chair and squeezed his eyes shut. He grit his teeth and slowly sucked air in through his teeth. Jack watched him sadly for a few minutes before Papi’s face relaxed.

“Sorry about that, Jack,” he murmured as he ran his fingers through Jack’s hair. “Worst day yet. Let’s go over the candy and get it put away.”

“Okay,” Jack nodded.

They sorted the candy out, throwing away the ones that looked bad or had opened. Jack eagerly popped a sucker into his mouth when Papi said he was allowed to, twirling the green apple flavoured treat on his tongue. Papi munched on a bag of Swedish Berries, smirking whenever Jack stole one from between his fingers. When they were done, Papi picked Jack up and headed to the washroom.

Papi sat him on the counter beside the sink and started to gently wash the make-up off of his face. Jack giggled and smiled, pulling the fake teeth off and putting them in the container Papi had made for them. Papi smiled at him, rubbing his thumb against Jack’s cheek.

“You look so much like your Daddy,” Papi murmured as he unfastened Jack’s cloak. “He’d be so proud of you, _m’ijo_.”

“I miss him,” Jack murmured as he rubbed at his cheek. “Are we gunna light candles for him this year?”

“Yah, _m’ijo_ , we are,” Papi soothed. “You want to help me make the bread this year?”

Jack nodded happily and wiped at his eyes. Papi kissed his cheeks before picking him up again. Jack felt bad as Papi carried him up the stairs to his room. Papi was in so much pain but he still picked Jack up. Was he afraid of losing him the way he’d lost Daddy in the war? He whimpered and snuggled closer, holding onto Papi’s big shoulders.

“It’s okay, _m’ijo_ ,” Papi soothed as he set Jack down on his bed. “Papi’s a tough old man.”

“I love you,” Jack murmured as he rubbed at his eye.

“I love you to the stars and back,” Papi smiled. “Come on. Let’s get you out of those clothes and into your nice warm PJs.”

Jack nodded and happily stripped out of the slightly too tight costume. Papi helped him into his pajamas, buttoning him into the shirt and covering his cheeks in kisses. Jack climbed into bed and snuggled down with the cat plushie his Daddy had bought him before leaving for the war. He nuzzled the soft white fur as Papi got a storybook off of his shelf.

Papi sat down in the chair beside the bed with a soft hiss, squeezing his eyes shut. Jack watched him press a palm against his eye and inhale loudly through his nose. It took a few minutes before Papi was able to relax in the chair. He opened the book and started reading the story about Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

* * *

 

Gabriel kissed his son’s forehead as he finished reading. Jack was fast asleep with Minue held tightly to his chest, his curly blond hair clinging to his forehead after all the white powder had been scrubbed out of it. He got Gabriel’s curly hair and bronze skin, but Jack’s blue, blue eyes and golden blond hair. Oh, how it hurt to look into those sweet eyes sometimes and know that Jack would never get to see his son grow up.

“Sleep well, my little one,” Gabriel murmured.

He left the room and headed for his own. He stripped quickly and crawled into bed, sinking into the soft blankets. His nerves screamed in agony as he shifted slightly, reminding him not for the first time that he had survived the explosion that had wiped out most of his unit. He had survived, but Jack, Liao, and Reinhardt had not. Survivor’s guilt, the psychiatrist had told him, but it was worse than that and he knew it. They had all trusted him and he had led them straight into an ambush.

He grit his teeth against the pain, willing himself to just fall asleep. He rolled over when he could not and reached out to touch the picture on his bedside table. His fingers brushed over the grinning face of his husband, the man that had given half of his DNA to their son. Jack looked so happy in that picture, leaning against Gabriel with no idea what his fate was.

That smile used to get him through the worst times. Even when they were pinned down in a foxhole, Jack’s smile helped ease the tension in his chest. It helped him find his focus and courage and lead his men over the side of the trench into battle. He missed that smile; he knew that it would help him get through the worst of his pain if he had it now.

“I miss you,” Gabriel murmured softly as he let his hand fall to the mattress. “I’m so sorry.”

He woke in the morning feeling better. There was still pain, but not as much as the day before. He was able to handle Jack throwing himself onto the bed and snuggling against him. He rolled over on his son, playfully pinning him to the mattress while he squealed and wiggled for freedom.

“Papi!” Jack laughed as he managed to wiggle away. “You’re squishing me!”

“What, I can’t have Jack Pancakes?” Gabriel teased as he reached out to ruffle Jack’s hair.

“No!” Jack laughed before he bounced to his feet. “Papi, can I have French Toast for breakfast?”

“I don’t see why not,” Gabriel groaned as he got to his feet.

He followed Jack down to the kitchen, smiling as his son clambered into his chair at the table and sat there grinning at him. Gabriel started making breakfast, whistling to himself as his son pulled the tablet towards him and started playing one of the educational games loaded on it. He made French toast and bacon, setting the steaming plate down in front of his son.

He took his morning cocktail of prescriptions, trying not to think about how fucked up he was. Two years since he’d been blown up and what did he have to show for it? A broken and battered body, a dead husband, no job, barely any income, and a child that was too scared to ask about the man he could barely remember. Gabriel rubbed at his face and let out a long sigh before popping the last few pills into his mouth.

“Papi, are we going to the cemetery?” Jack asked.

“Today?” Gabriel frowned.

“No, on _Día de los Muertos_ ,” Jack shook his head.

“Do you want to?” Gabriel asked.

In truth, he wanted to; he was supposed to care for his family graves as the only Reyes left in town; but it stung knowing that the people under those markers hated him. Jack was buried there too and Gabriel did everything he could to keep the grave clear of weeds and well maintained, but there was only so much one man could do when he could barely walk.

“I want to see Daddy’s grave,” Jack nodded his head. “I want to tell him about my Halloween costume!”

Gabriel took a deep breath and smiled. “Okay, _m’ijo_ ,” he nodded. “But you have to help me clean up the grave. You can’t just sit on your tush and yak with the dead, got it?”

Jack grinned and nodded again. He finished his breakfast quickly and tapped something on the tablet. Gabriel spotted a few messages flying back and forth across the screen before Jack jumped to his feet.

“I’m going to the park to play ball with Jesse and Hanzo! Hanzo finally got his foot out of the cast last night and he can’t wait to climb trees again!” he laughed happily.

“Just be careful,” Gabriel smiled as his son raced off upstairs. “I’ll be here if you need me. Take the cellphone!”

“I will!” Jack promised as he closed the door to his room.

Gabriel finished off his breakfast and put the dirty dishes in the sink. He started dishes as Jack raced by with his baseball glove thrown over his shoulder. He shouted that he was leaving and Gabriel gave the customary shout of “love you” before the door was slammed shut.

Gabriel was left alone with his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of suicide in the this chapter. Gabriel is in a really dark place right now.

“So your Papi was feeling really sick yesterday?” Hanzo asked as he scrambled up a tree as if his foot hadn’t been in a cast for a month.

“Yah,” Jack nodded as he got a running start and scrambled up after Hanzo. “It’s been happening a lot lately. I think it’s just because it’s almost _Diá de los Muertos_.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Hanzo asked as he leaned down to help Jesse up onto the branch they were sitting on.

Jesse was a terrible climber compared to them. He liked to say it was because there were no trees out in Santa Fe to climb, but they both knew it was because Jesse was very uncoordinated.

“Papi has a hard time with his relatives,” Jack said sadly. “And because Daddy’s grave keeps getting vandalized.”

“Why?” Hanzo asked in confusion.

“Because Daddy gave birth to me,” Jack shrugged. “Papi says a lot of people called him a freak and don’t think he deserves a grave even though he died defending them in the war.”

“Oh,” Hanzo frowned. “Well, that’s dumb!”

Jesse nodded in agreement before he started stuffing chips into his mouth.  “Yah, your Daddy was the best!” he swallowed. “He always brought cookies over!”

Jack giggled and nodded. He missed his Daddy, even if he didn’t really remember him. There were pictures everywhere around the house and Papi kept Daddy’s medals on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. And he had Minue to remember his Daddy by.

“I wish I could have gone out trick-or-treating with you,” Hanzo whined. “I was going to be an _oni_!”

“A what?” Jack blinked.

“It means ‘demon’ in Japanese,” Hanzo grinned proudly before he pouted. “But I had to break my foot instead. That sucks!”

“Genji did share, right?” Jesse asked as he held the chip bag out for Hanzo.

“Mama is making him,” Hanzo grinned as he pulled a few chips out. “He was going to try to hoard it all, but Mama wouldn’t let him.”

They giggled at Genji’s misfortune before they started talking about school on Monday. Jack and Jesse had a school play they had to go watch. Hanzo, who went to a different school on the other side of town, had to go to church for several hours.

“I don’t even practice Christianity at home,” he whined. “I don’t know why Mama sent me there!”

Jack shrugged his shoulders. Papi said he hadn’t even considered sending Jack anywhere but to a public school. Jack probably wouldn’t have been allowed in because Papi was gay anyways. But he was happy at the public school; he met Jesse and Angela there. They were his best friends ever! Other than Hanzo, of course.

Jack swung his legs as Jesse stuck a leaf in his mouth and started twirling it like a piece of hay. “So, are we going to hang out in a tree all day or are we going to do something else?” he grinned.

“Race you to the ballfield!” Jesse shouted as he scrambled down the trunk.

“No fair!” Jack shouted as he and Hanzo hurried after him.

* * *

 

“You look terrible, Gabriel,” Ana murmured as she rested a hand on his scarred hand. “When was the last time you went outside?”

“Took Jack to school Friday,” Gabriel replied as he stared at the cup of tea in front of him.

“Other than taking your son to school and picking him up,” Ana amended. “You can’t stay cooped up in this house, Gabriel. It’ll kill you faster.”

Gabriel closed his eyes and swallowed around the lump. “Sometimes I think it would be better if I was dead,” he whispered. “You’d take Jack and give him all the love and attention he needs. He wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not his Papi can even get out of bed in the morning.”

Ana squeezed his hand tightly and shook her head. “Oh, Gabriel, no,” she said. “No, that’s not the answer.”

“Feels like it is,” Gabriel swallowed again but didn’t bother fighting back the tears. “Only reason I haven’t done it yet is because I don’t want Jack to find my body.”

Ana shifted closer and hugged him. He sobbed into her shoulder, holding the smaller woman close. He felt so useless. He wasn’t even thirty yet and he walked around like a seventy-year-old man. He was in so much pain all the time that it was hard to operate and do normal things like dishes and vacuuming. He was on permanent disability and the cheque he got from that wasn’t very good and was barely enough to raise a child on. He couldn’t hold a job because of his condition and he wasn’t sure how he’d managed to stay afloat for two months let alone two years.

He was worthless and stupid and useless and he didn’t want to subject his son to seeing his caregiver as a massive failure. Gabriel Reyes, hero of the Omnic Crisis, abandoned by his country and left to rot with the other veterans disfigured by the war. Some hero he was.

Ana held him until his tears subsided, kissing over his forehead. “You are all Jack has,” she said. “You are not a burden on him, Gabriel. You should look into counselling or get some of your meds changed. It’s not right that you feel this way.”

“I don’t know what to do, Ana,” Gabriel whispered. “I can’t hold a job and I’m taking enough meds to poison a small dog; I don’t know how I’m managing to raise Jack on my miserable income or how I still have a roof over my head.”

“There are always options available to you, Gabriel,” Ana said sternly. “I will look into jobs for you; I know where to look. You just send me a copy of your resume and worry about Jack. He needs you, Gabriel.”

Gabriel wiped at his eyes and let out a hollow chuckle. “What would I do without you, Ana?” he asked.

“I don’t want to think about it,” Ana shook her head sadly. “Let’s change the subject. Have you seen the football games?”

“Yes,” Gabriel grimaced as he picked up his neglected tea and sipped it. “They’re horrible this year.”

* * *

 

“We aren’t supposed to be here,” Jack whispered as they stood outside the cemetery. “The groundskeepers get really mad when kids are here unattended.”

“I don’t care,” Jesse snorted as he walked through the gates. “My Grammy’s buried here and I want to see her grave.”

“You never even met her,” Jack whined as he followed his friend.

“And? Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to see her,” Jesse laughed.

Jack whined miserably, but followed his friend. He wasn’t about to let him wander a graveyard all by himself. These places were creepy when there weren’t candles lit and other people around. Jesse didn’t seem to care though; Jesse wasn’t afraid of anything. Jack wished he was that brave.

They walked through the graveyard until Jesse found his grandmother’s grave. He knelt down to dust off the dirt that had covered her name, sighing sadly. Jack let him do whatever it was that he wanted to do, glancing around nervously. He could see a group of boys nearby and he didn’t like the way they kept looking at them.

They were a lot bigger than him and Jesse. He didn’t want to think about how one sided a fight with them would be, but he did anyways. They would win and leave Jesse and Jack to bleed on the ground.

“Jesse,” he whispered. “Jesse, we should leave.”

“Why?” Jesse asked as he straightened up and dusted his pants off.

“Those boys keep looking at us,” Jack said. “I don’t like it.”

“Well, if they have a problem with us, they can go fuck themselves,” Jesse said.

Jack covered his mouth and gasped. “You said the ‘F’ word!” he whispered.

Jesse grinned and puffed his chest out as the group of boys started moving towards them. Jack shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, glancing at Jesse. He wanted to retreat, but Jesse wasn’t moving. He really wished Jesse was scared of people. Hanzo would have agreed with him that they should leave and Hanzo was a year older than them so they had to listen to him.

“What’re you doing here?” the biggest boy of the group demanded as he tried to loom over Jesse.

“Visiting my Grammy,” Jesse snorted. “You got a problem with that?”

“This is our turf,” another boy snorted. “Get lost.”

“It’s a graveyard,” Jack wrinkled his nose. “It belongs to the city.”

The boys stepped forward and Jack tensed. “It’s ours,” the biggest boy growled. “Beat it.”

“Sure,” Jesse grinned. “After you leave.”

The biggest boy glared at Jesse before he threw a punch. Jesse and Jack reacted immediately, leaping forward as one to beat the other boy into submission. It was two on five and everything dissolved into fists and elbows, teeth, and blood. Jack was crying but he kept punching, not caring if he broke anything.

“BREAK IT UP!” a voice roared.

Jack felt hands wrap around him and hoist him up into the air. He blinked down at the woman holding him and did his best not to flinch under her furious gaze. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t directed at him as he was propped up on the woman’s hip.

“You lot, get out of my sight,” she snapped. “Emmy, how’s that other kid?”

“He’s fine,” the other woman smiled as she picked Jesse up. “Bit of a roughnut, huh?”

Jesse sniffled and rubbed at his bloody nose as the group of boys ran off as fast as they could. The woman holding Jack snorted and grumbled something.

“Come on, let’s go call your parents,” she said as she turned and headed for the squat building sitting on the other end of the graveyard.

The other woman, Emily, called their parents while Becky cleaned up the worst of their injuries. Jack liked them; they were nice and told funny jokes and seemed to be genuinely concerned about them. Emily and Becky told them all sorts of funny stories about living as a graveyard caretakers, from chasing off animals that were trying to dig up graves to shooing people trying to hold séances in the older sections of the graveyard.

“Jesse!” Jesse’s older sister, Vanessa, shrieked as she came running into the office. “What were you thinking?!”

Jesse pouted as his older sister hugged him tightly. “I’m fine,” he huffed and returned the hug. “Is Daddy here?”

“No,” Vanessa sighed miserably. “He had to go to work.”

Jesse pouted more as Jesse’s older brother walked into the office. Tom tipped his hat back and stuffed his hands nervously into the pockets of his jeans. He smiled at Emily and inclined his head.

“Sorry if Jesse caused ya trouble,” he said.

“No trouble at all,” Emily reassured him. “You’re his older brother, Tom? The one I spoke to on the phone?”

“Yah,” Tom nodded. “Come on, Jesse. Let’s get you home for supper.”

“Chicken wings?” Jesse grinned as he and Vanessa hurried over to Tom.

“You bet,” Tom smiled before quickly moving his siblings out of the way.

“ _M’ijo_!” Papi shouted as he hurried into the office.

Both Emily and Becky jumped in surprise as Papi pulled Jack into a tight hug and covered his face in kisses. He scolded Jack angrily in Spanish, giving him a small shake as he demanded to know what he was thinking coming here without him.

“What if these nice ladies weren’t here to help you?” he demanded. “Those boys would have beaten you bloody!”

Jack hugged Papi’s neck and snuggled close. “I’m sorry, Papi,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to make you scared.”

Papi held Jack against his chest and pressed his face into Jack’s golden curls. “You’re all I have, Jack,” he murmured softly. “Please, don’t ever come here without me again.”

“Okay,” Jack snuggled close as Papi stood up and carried him out of the office.

Jack waved bye to everyone and rested his chin on Papi’s shoulder. Tom’s motorcycle was parked outside the cemetery, the blue skulls across the side looking silly in the setting sunlight. Papi buckled Jack into his carseat in the back of his car and Jack settled down.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said again as the car started up.

“I know, _m’ijo_ ,” Papi smiled into the rearview mirror as he started driving home. “Just don’t do that again, okay?”

“Okay,” Jack nodded. “Are we having pizza for supper?”

“We are,” Papi smirked. “How did you know?”

“You smell like cheese and olives,” Jack giggled and covered his mouth. “You only ever smell like that when you’re making pizza!”

“My _m’ijo_ is so smart,” Papi laughed. “Just like his Daddy.”

Jack puffed his chest up proudly. He was just like his Daddy, wasn’t he? He was smart and funny, not brave, but he knew that would come with time. His Daddy would be so proud of him, just like Papi was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa and Tom McCree will be showing up in other stories, don't you worry~ *you totally don't care, but ssh, I love my babies* Where's Jesse's dad? Out doing Deadlock things because you can move your family out of the Southwest, but good luck escaping your jackass boss.
> 
> And Gabe would be lost without Ana. She lost all of the same people he did and knows just how much emotional pain he's going through.


	3. Chapter 3

“And Daddy loved churros, right?” Jack asked as he set the offering by the gravestone.

“He did,” Papi smiled as he knelt to set the bouquet of roses down. “If I made some, he’d eat all of them in one go. He’d get very sick afterwards, but he always said it was worth it.”

Jack giggled and snuggled against Papi’s side as he lit the candles on top of the tombstone. He watched the smoke rise into the air as the candle flames danced in the light breeze. Papi had set a picture in front of the tombstone and Jack watched the light dance across his Daddy’s smiling face. People always said that he had his Daddy’s smile and he definitely saw it.

His Daddy liked to smile with his eyes as much as with his mouth. His blue eyes were so bright and happy. Even if he was only in a picture, Jack knew that his Daddy was happy and ready to give the world all of his love.

“Your Daddy loved you so much, Jack,” Papi murmured. “From the moment he realized you were growing inside of him, he loved you. He was so scared to hurt you that he stopped taking his injections. He was so moody for weeks because of it. We used to sit in the living room just touching his stomach because we couldn’t believe that you were real.”

Jack snuggled into Papi’s chest. “Is that why you named me after Daddy?” he asked.

“It was a bit of a joke,” Papi laughed. “I wanted a junior, but it felt wrong to call you ‘Gabriel’, especially when I saw that little fluff of golden blond on your head.” Papi hugged him close. “You were so tiny, _m’ijo_ , we were both so scared to hurt you. Daddy cried when Ana took you so you could suckle; he felt like a terrible mother for needing someone else to feed you.”

“Why couldn’t Daddy do it?” Jack asked.

“Daddy had his breasts removed before he got pregnant,” Papi chuckled. “He hated them so much. They made him feel ugly. I don’t know if he would have had them removed if he knew he was going to get pregnant.”

“Was Daddy like me?” Jack asked softly.

“He was,” Papi smiled. “He was good and kind and maybe a little too hyper for his own good.” Jack giggled as Papi kissed him. “He always did his best to make sure everyone else was happy and well taken care of. He had so much love to give and a lot of the time, people took advantage of that.”

“Is that why you tell me to be choosy about who I’m nice to?” Jack asked with a laugh.

“Yes,” Papi kissed his hair. “I don’t want you to be hurt. Daddy was hurt so often by the people he was trying to help that it broke my heart.”

“Do you think I’ll be like Daddy when I’m older?” Jack asked.

“I think you’ll be you,” Papi nuzzled him. “There’ll be pieces of me and Daddy in you, but you’re your own person, Jack Reinhardt Reyes. No matter what you grow up to be, I will be proud of you.”

Jack smiled up at Papi before he pulled away. “You have to go tend to the other graves, right?” he asked.

“I do,” Papi sighed as he got to his feet. “You stay here, okay? Talk to Daddy; I’m sure he’ll love to hear what you’ve done this year.”

“Okay,” Jack smiled as Papi headed to a different part of the graveyard.

There were a lot of other families moving around honouring their departed loved ones. Jack wasn’t scared that someone was going to try to kidnap him. He might not have liked the graveyard when it was any day other than _Diá de los Muertos_ , but today he felt safe. He felt welcome and happy, like he was surrounded by laughing, happy people.

He looked at the headstone and smiled at the picture of his Daddy. “I love Minue, Daddy,” he said. “He’s my best friend, other than Jesse, Fareeha, Hanzo, and Angela, of course. He’s so smart, Daddy. He knows when I’m upset and he listens really good. I know that he keeps all of my secrets, even stuff that Papi doesn’t know about. But don’t tell him that, okay?”

He giggled before he felt fingers running through his hair. He looked up, expecting his Papi to have walked back to listen, and squeaked in alarm. The man in sugar-skull paint smiled and sat down, resting his arms on his legs as his familiar blue eyes watched Jack. Jack swallowed, staring at the skeletal man before he crawled forward slowly.

“Daddy?” he whispered.

The man smiled and nodded. He held his hand out and Jack eagerly took it. He scrambled onto Daddy’s lap and hugged him, whimpering as phantom muscles hugged him close. He felt soft lips brush over his forehead and sniffled.

“You’re gotten so big,” Daddy murmured. “You look so much like me and so much like Gabriel.”

“I miss you,” Jack whispered. “I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too, my darling,” Daddy kissed his cheek. “But I’m never far, I promise. No matter where you go, if you’re really scared, just close your eyes and I’ll be there to help chase the shadows away.”

Jack rubbed at his eyes and nodded, smiling up at Daddy. “Papi misses you too. He always feels worse around Halloween,” he said.

Daddy closed his eyes and tears trickled down his face. “I know, my darling. I know,” he murmured. “He tries so hard to be strong, but there’s only so much one man can do. He loves you and he always will.”

“I know,” Jack smiled as he snuggled. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

“Some things are unavoidable, my darling,” Daddy said. “The dead aren’t meant to remain here. We get one or two days to enjoy the world above, to remember all the good things in our lives, before we return to the realm below.”

“Is it scary down there?” Jack whispered.

“It can be,” Daddy nodded. “But I have good friends with me that help watch my back. It really isn’t all that different from up here.”

Jack snuggled close and let out a soft sigh. “Papi said you used to sing me to sleep when I was a baby,” he murmured. “Can you sing me to sleep now?”

“I can try, my darling,” Daddy chuckled.

_“Hush little baby don’t say a word, Daddy’s gunna buy you a mocking bird.”_

* * *

 

Gabriel found Jack sleeping on the ground in front of the tombstone. He was smiling with his head pillowed on his arms. Gabriel took a deep breath and scooped his son up, kissing his cheek as he started back towards the car. He didn’t look behind him as he heard ghost-soft footsteps follow him. He buckled Jack into his carseat and swallowed as he felt a bony, but familiar hand gently take his.

“You don’t have to turn around if you don’t want to, Gabriel,” Jack whispered. “I know it hurts you to see me like this.”

“Jack,” Gabriel whispered before he turned around.

He cupped the sugar skull face in his hands and felt tears rushing down his face. It hurt to see his sunshine reduced to bone and glowing blue eyes, but it was still the man he loved. He watched Jack’s chest rise and fall in memory of breathing, before he pulled him close and kissed him.

He tasted like sugar and the sweet tang of death. Not the kind that made him sick, but the kind that he knew came with those that walked the Realm of the Dead. Jack wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s neck, pressing in close.

“Gabriel,” Jack whispered against his lips, “it wasn’t your fault.”

“I led you into an ambush,” Gabriel whispered. “I got most of the unit killed. I should have perished with you. Why did I have to survive when so many good soldiers didn’t?”

“Because your purpose wasn’t over yet,” Jack said before he pointed at their son still sound asleep in his carseat. “Where would our Jack be if you had died? How miserable do you think he would be knowing that his dads died far away from him? Oh, Gabriel, if anyone can raise our son to be a smart, empathetic, wonderful leader, it’s you.”

“He should have had both of us,” Gabriel snapped and held Jack close to him. “I was supposed to protect you.”

“Gabriel, look at me,” Jack ordered. Gabriel lowered his eyes and his husband glared up at him. “We were soldiers. We knew what we signed up for. You couldn’t protect me any more than I could protect you. What happened was tragic and terrible, but it wasn’t your fault. It was never your fault. You need to let that guilt go before it eats away at you.”

“Jack,” Gabriel whispered.

“I love you,” Jack said. “I always have and I always will.” His bony hand trailed down Gabriel’s cheek. “But you need to get better, Gabriel. Our son needs you.”

“I’m nothing but a burden,” Gabriel whispered. “He’d be better off without me.”

Jack stared at him in disbelief before he slapped him upside the head. “Don’t you EVER say that again,” he ordered. “You are not a burden, Gabriel Reyes. You aren’t, do you hear me? This is a rough patch in your life, I know, but if you give up, where will that put you? Nowhere, that’s where!”

“I will be with you,” Gabriel murmured.

“Well, maybe I don’t want you with me just yet,” Jack crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him.

“So you’d rather me suffer in this broken body,” Gabriel glared right back.

“It’s broken,” Jack agreed before he reached up and cupped Gabriel’s cheek. “But it still works. You have good days and you have bad days, but you’re still worth something, Gabriel. You just have to hold on. Do it for Jack, if you can’t find it in you to do it for yourself.”

Gabriel held the hand against his cheek and closed his eyes. “I want you back,” he whispered.

“I’m never far,” Jack chuckled before he started to fade away. “Just hold on, my love. It will get better.”

Gabriel held Jack’s hand as long as he could before it turned into white dust and blew away in the wind. He climbed into the car and drove home, fighting off tears as he carried his son to bed. He tucked Jack in, pulling the covers up to his chin. When he was certain that his son was comfortable, he went to place the last few offerings on Jack's altar. He lit the candles, shifted the marigolds slightly to better frame the family photograph, and settled back to quietly pray and cry.


	4. Chapter 4

“And once we get you into the system properly, you’ll be given a laptop to take home with you,” Gabriel’s supervisor smiled. “You’ll be able to do all your work from home on the days where you’re in too much pain to come in.”

Gabriel swallowed, unable to think properly as he nodded. He couldn’t believe his luck; not only had Ana managed to get him an interview, but he’d been hired by the accounting firm to handle all of their shipping invoices. The supervisor’s smile softened and she patted his arm.

“Hey, I know this can be overwhelming,” she soothed. “A lot of our disabled employees feel the same way. I’m actually surprised the brass didn’t send you our way when you got back from the war. Someone dropped the ball.”

“They did,” Gabriel agreed. “Thank you.”

She nodded her head before showing him how the invoicing system worked. It was a little difficult to grasp, but by the end of the day, Gabriel knew he would be just fine. It was a little tedious, but definitely something he could do for hours on end. His supervisor promised to have his laptop ready by the end of the week and he drove to Jack’s school to pick him up.

“You’ve been really happy lately,” Jack commented as Gabriel strapped him into his carseat. “Did Daddy talk to you too?”

Gabriel smiled and kissed his son’s nose. “He did,” he said. “But that’s not all of it. I have a job now.”

“So, that means you won’t be at home?” Jack asked.

“Some days I will be, when the pain is too much,” Gabriel ruffled Jack’s golden hair. “Don’t worry; I’m allowed to pick you up from school and bring you to my office. But you have to promise to be quiet, okay?”

“Yes, Papi!” Jack grinned as he bounced in his seat.

Gabriel kissed his son’s forehead before he drove back to the office. Everyone went crazy over his son, showering him in love and attention. A few commented on how beautiful he was with his bronze skin and golden hair, begging to know who his wife was. Gabriel just smiled and shook his head, saying that Jack’s mother passed away and left it at that. They didn’t need to know the nitty-gritty details.

Jack did his homework in Gabriel’s office, humming some little childish ditty as he worked. Gabriel worked until five and then drove both of them home. Gabriel fried up some chicken for them, smiling as Jack eagerly gobbled it all down.

They watched TV the rest of the night and Gabriel carried Jack up to bed when he fell asleep around eight. He tucked his son in and kissed his forehead before retiring to his own bed. He curled up under the covers feeling better than he had in a long time. He was still in pain, but there was something fulfilling about finally having a job and being able to afford to keep living.

* * *

 

Jack ran his fingers through Gabriel’s hair and smiled. It was good to see his beloved smiling again. There was so much pain in his life, but now there was a chance for hope and a chance to turn everything around. He pressed a kiss to Gabriel’s forehead before he got to his feet. He walked to his son’s room and kissed his cheek, murmuring a soft prayer to keep him happy and safe.

Content that his family was going to be okay for the next little while, he shouldered his pulse rifle and headed back to the Realm of the Dead. Reinhardt probably pissed off the World Dragon again and needed his ass saved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a nice happy ending for you all. Gabriel's able to get his feet back on the ground at last at a job that takes into account that he's in chronic pain and understands that he's a single father trying to raise a school-aged kid. So kind of them to do so much for him.


End file.
